RiverDogs Issue Game-Winning Walk in Ninth, Suffer Devastating 6-5 Defeat

The Charleston RiverDogs allowed the Augusta GreenJackets to score the final six runs, all after the sixth inning, in a 6-5 walk-off loss on Friday at SRP Park. Adam Boucher issued four walks in the final frame, the last one forcing in the winning run.

Boucher took over with the RiverDogs (10-14) leading by one and the top of the order coming to the plate. Jace Grady worked a leadoff walk and Luis Sanchez immediately tied the game by roping an RBI triple to the right field corner on a 3-2 pitch. Charleston intentionally walked Drew Compton and Boucher rebounded by striking out Kade Kern. Another walk to Will Verdung loaded the bases. Boucher went to another 3-2 count on Robert Gonzalez and missed high with a breaking ball, forcing in the winning run as the GreenJackets stormed the field to celebrate.

The RiverDogs opened the scoring with a much-needed crooked number in the top of the third. Odalys Peguero led off by slicing a single to left field. Carlos Colmenarez reached on catcher’s interference in the next at-bat, setting the table for the top of the order. Narciso Polanco took advantage by banging a ground-rule double to right center that scored the first run. Two batters later, Tre’ Morgan ripped a two-run single up the middle.

A few innings later, Charleston managed to hang another multi-run inning on Garrett Baumann, the GreenJackets starter. Colmenarez split the gap with a double to open the inning and came around to score when a groundball from Morgan took a wicked hop over the head of second baseman Will Verdung. Angel Mateo followed with a groundball single over the mound and into center field that extended the gap to 5-0.

Once again, RiverDogs starting pitcher Owen Wild dominated for most of his outing, only to falter later. He began his night with 5.0 shutout innings, striking out six along the way. In the sixth, he failed to record an out. Grady opened the frame with a single and Wild followed by walking Sanchez. Compton worked the count to 3-1 before crushing a three-home run to right field that took a big chunk out of the lead. Wild finished his night allowed three runs on six hits in 5.0 innings.

The GreenJackets (12-13) pulled even closer against Engert Garcia in the seventh. Grady beat out an infield single with one out and went to second on another infield hit from Sanchez. Compton cashed in again, securing his fourth RBI with a single to left. Garcia induced a double play from Kade Kern to close the threat.

Compton went 3-4 with a home run and three RBI to pace the GreenJackets 13-hit effort. Verdung and Sanchez also had three hits each. The RiverDogs were led by Morgan, who finished 2-5 with three RBI and stretched his hitting streak to eight games. Mateo also moved his streak to eight games and Polanco pushed his to seven.

The penultimate game of the series will take place on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m. LHP Drew Dowd (0-1, 5.14) will start on the bump for the RiverDogs. RHP Adam Maier (1-0, 5.29) will oppose him for the GreenJackets.